Your good deeds might be giving you a license to be bad
In short: Doing something virtuous can subconsciously prime your brain to act selfishly later. This psychological phenomenon, known as self-licensing, suggests that when we boost our own moral self-image through a positive action, we often feel less restricted from indulging in negative behaviors or making unethical choices.
Self-licensing occurs when an individual’s confidence in their own moral identity makes them worry less about the consequences of subsequent immoral behavior. This process is often nonconscious; for example, choosing a diet soda might lead someone to subconsciously discount the high caloric content of a greasy hamburger because they feel they have already made a 'healthy' choice. In marketing and social psychology, this can manifest as a 'moral credential effect,' where a track record of egalitarian behavior provides an unconscious ethical certification that increases the likelihood of making less egalitarian decisions in different settings.
The mechanism is complex and sometimes contested. While some researchers view it as a subconscious boost to self-concept that reduces negative self-attributions, others suggest it functions as a conscious excuse—people facing a temptation use a prior good deed as a reason why they are allowed to indulge. Interestingly, the 'consistency effect' acts as an opposite force: people tend to maintain consistent behaviors when thinking abstractly about their values, but they lean toward licensing when focusing concretely on specific accomplishments or recent actions.
The real-world implications are wide-ranging and often counterintuitive. Studies have shown that people who buy green products may be more likely to cheat or steal in subsequent tasks because the 'self-satisfied feeling' provides tacit permission for selfishness. Similarly, energy-efficient appliances can lead to increased usage—such as washing clothes 6% more often after getting a high-efficiency washer—as consumers use the new technology to offset their previous habits. Even dietary supplements have been shown to create an illusory sense of invulnerability, making users more prone to smoking or engaging in risky 'hedonic' activities.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Self-licensing
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